ISSF World Cup Rifle / Pistol / Shotgun · Changwon, KOR

The Korean athlete scored 38 hits leaving the 2016 Olympic Champion Reitz in second, to win his first ISSF gold medal in four years. The World Champion title won in Granada, Spain, in 2014 had been his last victory in the ISSF circuit, and he’s now preparing to defend it.

The reigning world champion Kim Junhong ruled today’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Final in front of his home crowd, at the 2018 ISSF World Cup in Changwon, Republic of Korea.

The 27-year old shooter turned out to be unbeatable for his opponents: with a final score of 38 hits he shattered the world record of 35 hits, finishing atop of the podium with 4 hits of advantage on his followers.

Closing his competition with a four consecutive perfect 5-hit series, the Korean shooter bested the 2016 Olympic Champion Christian Reitz of Germany, who ended up in second with 34 hits.

Another German athlete, 26-year old Oliver Geis - the 2015 European Games champion - followed them in third place with 29 hits. Geis survived a shoot-off after shot #30, beating the second Korean finalist Song Jong Ho 4 to 3 hits to avoid the elimination. Song ended up in fourth, with a score of 25 hits.

Coming in fifth, the 2010 World Champion Alexei Klimov of the Russian Federation scored 18 hits, after passing through a shoot-off (won by 4 hits to 3) against France’s Boris Artaud, sixth with 15 hits.

“It feels great to win this gold on my home turf, it has been a great match in a great atmosphere,” said gold medallist Kim after the final. “I had been far from the podium for so long, but now I am working on it.”

“In September, I will be competing here in Changwon to defend my world title. I am not at my best conditions yet, but I am working hard to prepare for the Championship,” he added.

The 2018 ISSF World Championship in all shooting events will be held here in Changwon, from the 31st of August through the 15th of September, and will assign the first Olympic quota places for Tokyo 2020.

This world cup serves also a test event of the venue, a well-known shooting range which has been totally reconstructed to host the World Championship, where some 2.000 athletes are expected to compete in over 50 Olympic and non-Olympic shooting events.

The world cup is set to continue right to the 30th of April. One additional medal event is on today’s schedule: the Trap Mixed Team final, that will take place at 16.30 Korean Standard Time (GMT+9).

The final will be broadcasted live on www.issf.sports.org